Thursday, November 03, 2011, 08:59

Target was previously coated/sintered with TaC & wrapped with 3 Ta-heat shields, including the back-block. 

Target was loaded with 365 UC2 discs + 3 samples for analysis. 

One regular endcap and one D-cap on the other end where the 3 samples sit. 

Evaporator has been pumped down since last night.  Currently vac @ 2.0e-6 Torr.  

For this final conditioning, here are the instructions: 

1.  Slowly stepping up TGHT  to 100A to burn off the organic binder.  Vacuum is expected to rise to the limit and stay at the plateau for a few days.  

2.  Once the vacuum has come down, the target will be cooldown and the chamber will be vented with Ar.  The cup-holder may be filled with the organic binder and needed to be clean.

3.  Pump back down the evaporator; step up TGHT to 100A and wait for the reaction. 

4.  Initial TGHT auto ramping.  Set TGHT to 520A @ rate of 0.1A/min.  

5.  Allow TGHT to held at 520A for 4 hours, then cool down. 

6.  Remove target from the chamber and store in the air-tight box and transferred to the Ar-glove box. 

Thursday, November 03, 2011, 09:13 

TGHT reached to 55A, and vacuum slowly to rise. Vac @ 5.7e-6 Torr. 

Wil stay at 55A for now... 

 Thursday, November 03, 2011, 09:51

A spike in vacuum and triggered the alarm handler but didn't tripped the TGHT.

Brought TGHT back down to 50A.

Initiated Auto-heating.  Set TGHT to 100A @ 0.1A/min. 

Thursday, November 03, 2011, 18:25  

I just found out that the target heater did not reach to 100A.  The auto-heating was running to bring up TGHT to 100, but the readback stayed at 50A.  Peter K. was contacted.  We stopped the auto-heating program and instantly the target heating jumped to 100A.  Quickly, we brought down the heater to 50A.  (see attachment1 for the stiptool).  Not sure what was happening.  

I stepped up the TGHT manually to 61A, and the pressure is slowing increasing.  

Thursday, November 03, 2011, 19:26  

Something is wrong with the TGHT power supply.  I stepped it up from 55 to 63A, and found the readback stuck at 58 (local @ 56).  So, I tapped the TGHT down to 58A and then the readback followed the setpoint.

I tried again to bring it up to 63 and it stuck at 60A, and tapping down and up the slider triggered the readback to follow the setpoint.  This is a fault in the system. 

Peter was informed, and is taking over this for now.  We need to bring up the THGT up to 100A to burn off the organic binder.  I don't know what we should do from here.  I need a break! 

Friday, November 04, 2011, 15:46  

As per Jane,  there is a problem with the network issue that controls the target heater power supply.  The power supply current is not regulating proper.  (see attachment #2)

TGHT was ramped down from 85A to 0A for Control to work on the problem since this morning.  

See e-fault#5672, WP#2011-11-04-5. 

 Monday, November 07, 2011, 11:12

 Control has fixed the network issue.  

Stepped up to 10A, local read 8A.

 Initiated autoramping, setp TGHT to 20A at 1A/min.  TGHT did reach to 20A with no problem.  

Stepped up further to 30A, local at 28A.  

I conclude that the power supply is now regulating properly.  

Conditioning of UCx#3 continues... 

 Monday, November 07, 2011, 12:14

TGHT at 84.5A, locat @ 82A.  Vacuum hovering at 7.2e-5 Torr.  

Initiated auto-ramping: TGHT set to 100A, at 0.1A/min.  Incrementing current if vac < 5.0e-5 Torr and backing off if vac >6.0e-5 Torr. 

Monday, November 14, 2011, 11:03 

TGHT reached to 175A on Nov 11, 2011 to finish off the organics burnout process. 

Then TGHT was cool down @ 2A/min until TGHT reached to zero.

Evaporator was vented with Ar and the chamber was open.

The target was removed from the evaporator; the organic binder was condensed out from the D-endcap and some from the ionizer tube (See attachment 3 & 4).

One of the samples was retrieved for analysis, and the D-endcap was put back.

The target was installed back, and the chamber was pumped down. 

The sintering and thermal reduction processes continued with TGHT ramped up to 520A.  Heating rate @ 0.1/min. 

Target has been heated at 520A for ~5hrs, vac @ 5.35e-6 Torr. (see attachment 5). 

Wednesday, November 16, 2011, 13:42

 Target looks good.  It has been installed in the heatshield, and it's being stored in the Ar-golve box. 

Evaporator is now off.